"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are," said the French philosopher. Two hundred years later, doctors agree. If you eat unhealthy, you end up unhealthy. Here we focus on just one of many dietary villains: cholesterol, and his sidekick, triglycerides. If you want to steer clear of heart and artery disease, then you must understand the unhealthy nexus between the cholesterol- (and triglyceride-) laden food you consume and cardio-vascular disease. This understanding is crucial to making an informed decision about your choice of food, because that's going to affect your health and your life.
What is the actual effect of cholesterol? High levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream cause a number of cardio-vascular diseases including artery blockage, strokes, coronary disease and heart attacks. The kicker is the fatal influence of many modern day lifestyle-related vices: smoking, drinking, hypertension, and obesity. Some unfortunate people have the added burden of a hereditary weakness which makes them naturally prone to any or all of the above diseases.
When we speak of 'cholesterol' we are talking about three categories of cholesterol: good cholesterol (HDL), bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides. This means that not all cholesterol is bad. Foods rich in Omega-3 fats like fish are helpful in reducing LDL levels and are advised for patients suffering from cholesterol-caused diseases.
A further twist in this tale is that, more often than not, we wrongly blame specific foods for high levels of bad cholesterol. The cooking method, the medium used for cooking, and the other foods that we consume along with the specific food contribute significantly to aggravated cholesterol levels. As an example, eggs were standard breakfast fare once. Then they were declared 'Bad!' because they contained cholesterol. Further research has shown that we should avoid the yolk of the egg and not the white! So now we're seeing eggs dished up with most of the yolk removed.
So now you are careful about eating eggs. You have restricted to one poached egg. But are you looking at what you're having along with the egg? Bacon and cheese and sausages, with thick slices of white bread liberally coated with butter! The egg isn't going to harm you, but those side helpings definitely are! Once again the point is that instead of adopting a policy of exclusion of a specific food, we should have a more holistic approach to the entire meal.
In general you should avoid greasy foods which are fried or deep fried. You take a perfectly healthy, non-cholesterol-aggravating eggplant, then you coat it in batter and deep fry it that's a perfect recipe for a whole slew of cardio-vascular problems! Yes, there are some foods which are bad for your heart which you must avoid. All animal products like meat, poultry, dairy produce and egg yolks are known contributors to high cholesterol levels in the blood. So go easy on those red meats, for your heart's sake!
Even if you only select those items that are low in bad cholesterol, you may still end up with choked arteries if you are not watchful about the saturated fats that you take in. This is because a high intake of saturated fats triggers a sharp increase of LDL levels as well as triglycerides.
There is no sense in banning specific food items from your diet. It makes more practical sense to maintain a moderate approach. Have everything, but in moderation. Keep a strict vigil on what you eat and how it is cooked. A fresh potato salad is good but French fries is not! Choose to grill your food rather than fry it. Have plenty of fresh vegetables. These very ordinary precautions will help to keep your heart beating perfectly for many, many years!
The first step you should take is to get a cholesterol test an discover what your levels are. Then eat a good low cholesterol diet, and keep up with your levels by purchasing a cholesterol monitor. Go to www.reduce-high-cholesterol.com for more info on living a heart healthy life.
